Isle of Avalon
by CaptainHooktastic
Summary: When Cassandra is captured by the Serpent Brotherhood she meets a mysterious wizard. Whether or not she can trust him is anyone's guess but she will need to be both cunning and resourceful if she is to escape the Brotherhood and return to her friends.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm so excited about this fic! I don't know how long it's going to be that really depends but I plan to keep it going as long as I have inspiration for it. Also there will be lots of Jassandra throughout the whole story and hints of other ships as well. ;)**

Cassandra paced around the small empty room tapping her hands together. "I am in so much trouble," she muttered. It had been really stupid of her to think she could get the upper hand on the enemy. Now she had been captured by the Serpent Brotherhood and awaited her fate. Stupid so stupid! She closed her eyes, trying to figure out exactly where she was in the large building. It wasn't the same location in London. She was sure, even though they had blindfolded her again. She calculated the distant they had traveled, but so many sounds and smells overwhelmed her. Come on I can do this. She willed it to work but it all became too much. She wished Jake was here. He always seemed to set her mind straight. The bang of the door being opened yanked her out of the vision so violently she stumbled, falling to the floor. Cassandra shook her head and opened her eyes to see Lamia standing over her.

"Are you alright?" Lamia asked crossing her arms. Cassandra nodded and stood up, still a little wobbly. She looked down, suddenly remembering their last encounter.

"I am sorry about what I did to you. " Cassandra mumbled, "It was the apple. I was my worst self. I'm sorry." Lamia's eyes widen at her words. It seemed she was taken aback by her apology.

"No problem, love." Lamia flashed a quick smile. Cassandra smiled too, almost forgetting she was a captive. "I need you to come with me." Lamia gestured toward the door. Cassandra peered out but only saw and empty hallway.

"What? No blindfold this time?" Cassandra asked.

"Oh, Cassie, I didn't realize you were into that sort of thing." Lamia smirked as she turned and left the room. Cassandra quickly followed puzzled by Lamia's strange behavior. Lamia led her through the long white hallway. Cassandra took note of every step and tried to look into the various rooms but Lamia was walking too fast. She could turn and run but she didn't really see the point. They were obviously in a huge complex she didn't know the way out of. She was just going to have to wait this one out. Plus Lamia didn't seem like someone who would be leading her to her death or anything.

The two finally arrived at their destination, which was a room full of an assortment of books and random objects. It reminded Cassandra of Jenkins's room in the Annex. Lamia walked in and glanced around.

"Emerson!" She shouted into nothing. Cassandra looked around the dark room wondering who Lamia was talking to. She didn't recognize the name. "Where the bloody hell is he?" Lamia muttered, just before a man walked around a large pile of books.

"I'm right here, Lamia." The stranger said, his eyes glued to the large scroll he was holding as he expertly navigated the cluttered room. Cassandra gawked at the man. He seemed so strange, but she didn't quite know why. He was tall, his long, dark coat swirling around him as he walked. There was a grand air about him. His dark hair and green eyes were striking, but, for some reason, she couldn't make a guess at his age. The man glanced at Cassandra and frowned. "Who is this?"

"This is Cassandra, one of the Librarians." Lamia shrugged. "Dulaque needs me somewhere else can you keep an eye on her?" He looked Cassandra over quickly.

"I'm sure it won't be that hard." He said looking back at Lamia, giving her a smirk.

Cassandra shook her head. What did he think? That she was helpless?

"Don't underestimate her wizard. She's tougher than she looks." Lamia said, looking slightly at Cassandra, a hint of fear in her eyes. Cassandra blinked as Lamia's words sunk in. Wizard? He's a wizard?! "Don't forget Dulaque expects some real results from you soon." Lamia said as she stalked through the doorway. There was a click of a key in the lock. Cassandra jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

"You're a wizard. She said you're a wizard! Please tell me you're a wizard." She exclaimed. The Wizard almost dropped his scroll, startled by her excitement.

"Calm down. Yes, I guess I could be classified as a wizard of sorts." He said, raising his hand in a soothing gesture.

Cassandra gave a triumphant fist pump. "Yes!" She wilted a little as she realized he was staring at her like she was an overwrought child. Taking a breath, she tried to reign in her enthusiasm. "So um…what's your name? Emerson? Is that what Lamia called you?" He nodded and she continued. "So, Emerson, why do you work for the Serpent Brotherhood anyway? I mean, I understand why you would want to. They have convincing ideals, but they are totally the bad guys." She paled as Emerson glanced up from his scroll, a grim look in his eyes. "Unless you are a bad guy, in which case, I will stop talking."

"You are quite spirited, Cassandra. I can see why you are a Librarian. Are there really more than one now?" He said, obviously avoiding her question. She sighed and crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"Yes. We are Librarians in Training." Emerson put the scroll he had been holding down on the table. He didn't seem to have heard what she said. He looked down at the table covered in a mess of papers.

"What are you working on anyway?" She asked. Maybe she could get some information on what the Brotherhood was up to.

"It doesn't matter if I can't get it to work." Emerson huffed, placing both his fists on the table. Cassandra waited to see if he would say anything more. There was a moment of silence before he glanced back up at her. "The theory of it is sound. There are just some calculations that I can't quite fit in. Magic is easy; it's all emotion, combining it with technology, that's where it gets tricky." Cassandra couldn't help herself. She picked up the scroll. "Careful. It's ancient parchment." He warned, but she was already lost in calculations and variables. It seemed to be a very simple concept; you just channel magical energy into certain entities to give more power. Objects? No, that didn't make sense. Animals? No. People? Wait, yes people. Put magic into people?! "Are you okay Cassandra?" Emerson snapped her out of her own mind.

"I'm not helping you do this!" She said firmly. "Wait, why would they need to do this? You have magic, right?"

Emerson nodded. "Yes, I do, but that is because of my lineage." Emerson lifted his hand and the scroll floated out of Cassandra's hand and floated toward him. Cassandra was momentarily shocked to see a person use magic. Her mouth fell open. Once the parchment was in his hands he continued. "Not everyone can wield magic. No one could gain that power before the Brotherhood released it into the world. Now, I am stronger and the Brotherhood wants more people to have magic."

She shook her head. "People having magic isn't the problem. The Brotherhood having it is the problem. They are bad people. I thought they wanted to help the world by releasing the magic but I was just being selfish and-"

"You are right. They shouldn't have magic." His eyes were hard.

"What?" She was really not expecting him to agree with her. "Then why are you helping them?"

"It's complicated." He looked down at the scroll his brow furrowed as he shook his head. Cassandra didn't know what to think of this wizard. He' didn't seem all that evil to her.

Cassandra jumped as a loud banging sounded at the door. Emerson waved his hand and the doors flew open. Two men with snake tattoos stumbled into the room.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to break my door down?!" Emerson shouted, throwing the scroll onto the table. He glared at the men, making his way over to stand beside Cassandra. "What is so urgent that you feel the need to break in here like a pair of vandals?" The anger in Emerson's voice shook Cassandra to the bone. There was something other worldly to it. Like magic. The two men paled, backing up as they mumbled incoherent apologies.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir. But we need this one back." The taller of the thugs mustered, pointing toward Cassandra. Emerson glanced at her quickly then back at the two men.

"What for?" He asked, his voice sounding human again.

"Dulaque didn't say, uh…" The man fidgeted, looking from Cassandra to the Wizard. Cassandra waited silently. She was getting nervous. She had been biding her time, hoping to get rescued. Now, it looked like her time had run out. Emerson seemed safe enough but she really didn't want to leave with these two scary looking guys.

"Dulaque is here?" Emerson asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes, sir. He just returned from dealing with the Librarians." The other thug said softly, looking pointedly at Cassandra. She held her breath. What did "dealing with" mean? Were all her friends dead? No. She couldn't think like that. Stop it.

"What happened?" Emerson questioned, glancing back to the scroll as if indifferent to the answer. The man just shrugged. "What does he want with the girl? Surely he's not trying to ransom her back to the Librarians?"

"He said he needed to make an example. Show the librarians they can't get away with, and I quote, 'their shenanigans and what not.'" The taller man replied matter of fact. Cassandra felt her stomach squirm. This meant at least some of her friends were still alive, but this was not good for her at all. "We can't keep Dulaque waiting much longer."

Cassandra tensed. This was it. She had to do something. They were blocking the door and she didn't think there was any other way out of this room. Emerson nodded solemnly, waving them away. The taller of the men grabbed Cassandra's arm. "Come along now."

Cassandra desperately tried to shove his hand away but she wasn't strong enough.

"Emerson, please!" She yelped as she was being dragged away. "Don't let them take me!" She locked eyes with Emerson. There was a depth of sadness there that was heartbreaking. For a moment she thought he was going to do something to help her, but he only sighed and turned away.


	2. Chapter 2

Cassandra has known she was going to die eventually, but not like this. It's too soon. _What am I going to do?_ Her breaths came in frightened little gasps as visions of clocks counting down spun in front of her eyes. She struggled to get away but it was no use. She took a deep breath, desperately searching for a single positive thought. Maybe they weren't going to kill her. Maybe they were going to use some kind of spell or curse on her, something that can be reversed. They turned a corner. The end of the hallway loomed. Cassandra closed her eyes; she needed to focus. She had to do something. No one was coming to save her.

"Hey, you guys don't have to hold me so tight." She squirmed in the thug's grip. "Is this any way to treat a lady?" She batted her lashes, hoping she looked soulful and helpless. They stopped, and the taller one who held her arm glared at her.

"What are you going on about?" He said, releasing his grip slightly. Calculating the angles, weight, and balance she went limp, making the guy stumble forward. He quickly turned back toward her but she balled up her fist and launched it at his face. The man staggered back falling to the ground.

"Holy cats!" Cassandra yelped shaking her hand. The other guy just stood gaping at his incapacitated buddy. Cassandra took off running. She heard the other guard shouting at her to halt even as he choked down laughter at his companion's curses.

Cassandra retraced her steps back towards Emerson's room and ran right past it. He wasn't going to help her. She didn't know where to go beyond this point. She tried to visualize a map of the facility. It materialized in front of her eyes, but there were too many gaps and no exits. Cassandra could hear the two men hot on her tail. Think, think, think, I need a way out. She careened around a corner, but came to a screeching halt in the face of a dead end. "Drat!" she muttered, stamping her foot. Cassandra turned around to see the two thugs come panting up to her.

"Well you got me. Take me to your leader or whatever." Cassandra held her head high. Maybe she made enough time for her friends to come and save her but that was doubtful. The two men led her silently to Dulaque. He was waiting in a lounge area, the coffee pot and small tables looking out of place in front of the massive fireplace and ornately decorated walls.

"What took so long? There wasn't any trouble was there?" Dulaque asked in his sing song voice that Cassandra had never liked. One of the men shook his head.

"No sir." The other one replied touching his face slightly. Cassandra grinned despite herself. At least she had fought back, Jake would have been proud of her. Dulaque waved them off.

"Go, go I must speak to our dear librarian." The men glanced at each other before leaving Cassandra with Dulaque. "Cassandra," His voice hung in the air. The way he said her name sent shivers down her spine. "You could have been our greatest ally. Your skills are unprecedented. You could still join us. Help us restore magic to the world."

"No thanks." Cassandra said placing her hands on her hips. "Tried it, didn't like it much."

"Ah yes, but people often get confused about which side they belong on."

"What did you do to my friends?" She asked, crossing her arms. She was too angry to be afraid anymore.

"Oh nothing lethal I assure you; though I can't say the same for you." Dulaque smirked, his eyebrows pulling down so much that he looked like a classic villain. He'd probably be twirling his mustache if he had one. He walked over to the fireplace, staring into its depths. "It's time we take the Librarian's morale down a peg."

_Yup, he wants to kill me._ Cassandra backed up her mind going into overload as she tried to come up with an escape plan. _What can I do? He is so going to kill me! _If she ran out she would most definitely be caught again. Cassandra jumped as a side door opened and Emerson sauntered in as if interrupting Dulaque was no big deal. Cassandra was shocked again by the force of his presence. She was surprised to see that it affected Dulaque as well. He straightened up, giving Emerson his full attention.

"Emerson, what is it?" Dulaque said. His voice held an odd note of respect. Cassandra tilted her head, regarding the two as she wondered who exactly held the power in this relationship. Dulaque was the leader of the Serpent Brotherhood and he was treating Emerson as at least an equal. The wizard glanced over at her. She almost gasped at the pain in his eyes, but it was replaced by resolve in the split second it took him to turn toward Dulaque.

"Dulaque, I do not think it wise to punish the Librarians through Cassandra's suffering."

Cassandra was puzzled by his words. He hadn't seemed that upset about her fate earlier. Dulaque appeared just as confused. He looked from Cassandra to Emerson a deep frown on his face.

"And just why not?" He demanded clearly annoyed with having to even deliberate with Emerson.

"If you return her to the Librarians intact, they will go about their daily duties and leave you more room for your own plans." Emerson suggested. Cassandra didn't know what to think. What had changed Emerson's mind? She didn't think she'd made such a connection with him. She waited and watched Dulaque for a reaction.

"It's not like you to offer advice." Dulaque said after a moment.

"Only when I feel you are not taking the best course of action." The wizard replied. Dulaque frowned at that. "Besides she can help me finish the project you want me to complete so badly. Isn't that why Lamia brought her to me?"

"I have no idea why Lamia took her to your study. I certainly didn't authorize it. The girl is intelligent, but firmly entrenched on the side of our enemies."

Emerson stroked his chin. "Still, logic dictates –"

"How dare you! I do not care about your logic. You know our arrangement. I want you here for your magical expertise, nothing more. I am in charge here not you. I will decide the fate of dear Cassandra myself."

"So are you giving me back in one piece or not?" Cassandra asked sheepishly, raising her hand. Both men turned and glared at her and she suddenly regretted opening her mouth.

"No." Dulaque said flatly. "I'm sticking with the original plan." Dulaque moved for her. Cassandra tensed ready to bolt out the door and try her luck, when all the lights in the room flashed. _What the heck?_ Emerson had his hand raised and was chanting something she couldn't quite catch. Cassandra blinked. Dulaque appeared to be frozen in place like a statue.

Emerson walked over to her and opened the door. "Come." He said leaving the room without looking to see if she would follow. Cassandra shook her head, giggling as she took one last look at the frozen Dulaque. She turned to follow Emerson who she guessed was a good guy at least for the moment.

"What did you do to him?" She asked trying to keep up with the wizard as they traversed the winding hallways.

"I immobilized him, but it won't last long on our friend, Dulaque. Hurry up. I have matters to attend to." He said not looking back.

"Um…like get out of here?" Cassandra replied, almost jogging to keep up with his long strides. Emerson led her back to his room. He rushed to the table and started sorting the mounds of papers, stuffing some into a satchel and tossing others to the floor.

"I thought we didn't have time?" Cassandra clasped her hands together, bouncing up and down, "We need to get out of here. What are you doing?" She glanced back at the hallway, wondering if she should leave him here.

Emerson turned around to face her. "I can't let the Serpent Brotherhood have all this knowledge." He gestured to the room around them. She took it all in. There was so much. How long had he been working for the Brotherhood?

"We can't take it all with us." She said, trying to get Emerson to focus on getting them out of this stupid place. Emerson paused, his hands balling into fists. He shook his head. "You need to destroy it." Cassandra said quietly.

"No." Emerson banged a fist on the table. "We can't. This much knowledge, it's too important it's-" Cassandra walked up to him and placed her hand on his arm.

"Hey, I know it's horrible but the Brotherhood doesn't deserve it. They'll just use it for evil." She urged him, trying not to focus on the countdown ticking behind her eyes.

"You are right." Emerson sighed.

Cassandra smiled and hugged his whole arm. "I knew you were a good guy!" She beamed eliciting a smile from the wizard. He backed up, pulling Cassandra toward the door. Lifting his hand, he pointed it toward the table.

"Incendium!"

Cassandra didn't even have time to try to translate what he said before the table burst into flames. She held tightly to his arm as all the papers and books burned to ashes in front of them. The heat hit her like a wave and the flames brought back memories of bonfires on the beach. She could smell the ocean and feel the sand on her feet. She suddenly became very aware of the power Emerson held. She was almost afraid of him; she should be afraid of him. Cassandra glanced up at the wizard. His eyes blazed and his face was lit with the flickering light of the flames consuming what was probably his life work. He appeared calm, but she could sense a storm raging within him.


	3. Chapter 3

"We should go." Emerson said as his study was engulfed in fire and smoke. Cassandra nodded wordlessly, her eyes wide, and followed him out into the hallway.

"We need to get back to the Annex." Cassandra said running past him not quite sure where to go. Emerson skidded to a stop. Shouts echoed off the walls. "It sounds like that spell you put on Dulaque wore off."

Emerson frowned. They turned a corner, running in the opposite direction of all the commotion.

"They're between us and the exit." Emerson stopped, panting for a breath.

"You can use magic to fight them off right?" Cassandra whirled around trying to think.

"Yes, but only for so long. This building is full of Dulaque's men. We're out of time." He muttered. Cassandra waved her hand at him closing her eyes.

"Quiet! I can do this. Okay? Okay. What can we do? We need to get to the Annex…the Annex…that's it! The back door!" She turned towards Emerson excitement in her eyes.

"You have an idea?" The wizard asked casting a worried glance down the hall.

"Yes! The Annex has a back door. It can go to any door in the world. I bet with your magic we can go through the reverse way and get into the Annex from here."

Emerson's eyes lit up. "That just might work. Cassandra you are bloody brilliant!"

She smiled and followed Emerson to the nearest door. He put his hand on the frame and closed his eyes. "Describe the Annex."

"Oh uh…it's in Portland under a nice looking bridge the water smells nice. There are lots of books and um…" Cassandra rambled on not sure of what he needed. He grabbed her hand.

"You are connected to this place maybe I can use that." Cassandra stood still while he started chanting something under his breath. He held her hand tightly. She glanced back and saw the same two men from earlier running toward them.

"Um...can you magic faster!? They're coming!" Cassandra patted the wizard's arm urgently as a very angry Dulaque came into view just behind the men.

"Got it!" Emerson yelled triumphantly opening the door. Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the Annex on the other side.

"Go, go!" Cassandra yelled sprinting past Emerson into the Annex. They stumbled into the room, shoving the door shut behind them. Cassandra almost fell to her knees breathing heavily. She turned to Emerson who was leaning against the back door grinning like an idiot.

"What?" She smiled standing up straight.

"We make quite the team." He said, laughing. "I haven't had that much fun in ages."

"Fun? If you think that's fun you are going to fit right in here." She said hitting him on the shoulder. She frowned when his face fell.

"Cassandra!" She jumped at the sound of Jake's voice. He was running towards her and suddenly she was wrapped up in his arms. She had never felt so safe. "I was so worried." He said into her hair. She nodded as she heard the voices of Ezekiel and Eve from behind Jake.

"I'm fine, really." She said stepping back from Jake and looking at the others. Eve was very serious.

"Who's this?" Eve asked pointing towards Emerson who had been silently standing by as they reunited.

"Are you already bringing home boys Cassie?" Ezekiel laughed making Jake roll his eyes.

"No." Cassandra said looking back at the wizard. Emerson just smiled as he leaned against the door. Cassandra grinned as Jenkins wandered in, his nose in a book.

"I am glad you're back safe." He said. Cassandra opened her mouth to tell them all about how they had escaped, but stopped when Jenkins slammed his books shut. He was glaring at Emerson.

"What are you doing here?" The old man exclaimed coming closer to the group at the door. Cassandra looked at Emerson confused. How did they know each other?

"Jenkins?" Eve asked. "Who is he?"

"Emrys, son of Merlin." He said his voice more dejected than normal. Gasps filled the room as Emerson shifted uneasily, looking at the floor.

"Son of Merlin? Why didn't you say anything?" Cassandra yelped in excitement.

"Merlin?" Ezekiel, Jake, and Eve said in unison. Jenkins just shook his head.

"Get out before I throw you out!" Jenkins demanded glaring right at the wizard.

"Oh, he's good. He helped me escape Dulaque." Cassandra pleaded.

"Oh working for him again what a surprise!" Jenkins spat, full of sarcasm. "You work with the Serpent Brotherhood every chance you get."

"He saved me from Dulaque." Cassandra insisted. "He betrayed the Brotherhood. We can trust him."

"It's alright Cassandra. I can speak for myself." Emerson-no-Emrys said, stepping forward. Everyone stared in silence at him not sure of what to think. "Yes I have aligned with the Brotherhood on multiple occasions, but that was because I wish for magic to be free in the world not locked away."

Jenkins laughed at that. "Right I'm sure you pushed hard for the magic to be released. You are so much more powerful now aren't you? Selfish as always."

Emrys shook his head. "Magic deserves to be shared with everyone. That's how it's supposed to be; people just forgot how to handle it."

"Oh and all the destruction and madness is just how it's supposed to be."

The librarians stayed silent exchanging glances. Cassandra didn't think she had ever seen Jenkins this upset.

"I just want the world back in balance. I will help it do that. The first step was releasing magic. As for Dulaque, he has other plans I don't agree with. I was only working under him to figure out his plans."

"I don't care. Just leave my Annex." Jenkins threw his hands up. Cassandra looked at Emrys, trying to piece how she felt together in her head.

"Fine, I'll leave but I'm still going to continue fixing things. Our paths are bound to cross. I plan on helping out whether you like it or not." Emrys said calmly, but Cassandra could tell he was upset.

He turned toward Cassandra and looked her in the eyes. "Until we meet again, Cassandra." He took her hand and kissed is lightly. She nodded and watched as he left. The room was quiet for a moment.

"What just happened?" Ezekiel asked, looking from Cassandra to the departing Wizard.

"I don't know." Jake grumbled.

"Are you sure we can't trust him, Jenkins?" Cassandra asked, frowning as he shook his head. "He blew his cover to save me."

"He's done much more generous things to earn peoples trust. That's what he does. He manipulates everyone. He's willing to do anything to get his way. He can't be trusted." Jenkins huffed and stalked out of the room.

"Well that was interesting." Eve said. "I guess we'll see what happens if we run into him again. For now let's just focus on the good. We got Cassandra back alive and well." Cassandra saw Jake flash a small smile. She smiled back.

"Yeah, what did happen while I was gone?" She asked and almost laughed at everyone's faces.

"Oh boy let me tell you!" Ezekiel exclaimed. Eve placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's have a moment please." The guardian said before walking over to her desk. Cassandra sighed. She was glad to be back. Nowhere felt like home quite like this place did. She tried not to think about Emrys. She wanted to trust him but it would probably be prudent to wait until they met again to decide.


	4. Chapter 4

Cassandra leaned against the balcony rails. It was great to be back in the annex. She hugged her legs, letting her hair fall in front of her face as she breathed in the sweet smell of freedom. A tiny smile flitted across her face as she heard Jake walk up the stairs. He sat down next her. She waited, not sure what to say after the way he had greeted her miraculous return.

"I'm glad you're okay." Jake said, crossing his arms.

Cassandra nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. It was stupid to go off by myself like that. I thought I could help."

"You don't have to apologize. You made it back. That's what matters." He smiled, but his eyes were sad. He was still upset about something. Maybe he was embarrassed that he had let his emotions show. Maybe he still didn't trust her and was mad at himself for caring. Her pulse kicked up a notch. Maybe he didn't care at all and was just upset that she had been unreliable again.

Jake leaned in, putting his hand on her back. "Take a breath. It's okay. You're safe now."

Cassandra nodded. Thank God he couldn't read her mind. She gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine." They sat there for a few minutes. Jake didn't say anything else. Cassandra tried not to analyze his silence. Before the things got too awkward, Eve walked up to them.

"Come on. The book is spitting out clippings again. We're off to a small town in the middle of nowhere."

Jake stood up and helped her get to her feet. Cassandra smiled. This was just what she needed, to get out into the field with the team again.

* * *

><p>Cassandra picked up another slim volume from Thomson Dieter's collection. She smiled, examining the embossed cover and gilded pages. The books they had confiscated from Bremen fascinated her. Running her finger along the middle shelf, she finally located the correct spot for the book according to Jenkins's complicated system. Eve came around the corner of the bookshelf, carrying two books of her own.<p>

"Hey." Cassandra turned and followed Eve as she walked down the narrow aisle between shelves. Eve nodded, giving her a quick smile as she placed the books in their appropriate locations. "Can I ask you something?" Cassandra stammered.

"Shoot." Eve turned and looked at her. Cassandra was struck again by how confident and in control Eve seemed all the time.

"What happened while I was gone?" Cassandra looked down, not sure how to ask what she wanted. "I mean, when I first got back Jake seemed really shook up. He kept looking at me like he couldn't quite believe that I was there. I thought maybe things were getting better. But we still can't seem to talk about anything. Now I can't tell if he cares about me at all or if he is just worried that I'll get into trouble again."

Eve sighed. "We thought we had found the place they were keeping you. Jake came up with a plan, but everything went sideways. The complex sort of blew up. I think he thought he'd gotten you killed."

"Oh." Cassandra thought back to the weird looks Jake had been giving her. Maybe his pulling away had been more about him dealing with her 'dying' than not wanting to work with her. "But I'm okay. Why can't we just talk about it?"

"I don't think Jake is the kind of guy who talks about his feeling."

Cassandra nodded. That was true. Jake would go on and on about a particular painting or an archaic poem, but he never really talked about himself. Before she could ask Eve for any advice, Jenkins's voice echoed through the annex.

"Col. Baird, I require your assistance."

Eve rolled her eyes, turning to go. "No rest for the weary, as our dear Librarian would say."

Cassandra waved goodbye as Eve left. Sighing, Cassandra headed back to get another stack of books. The ones she selected were about early European history. She carried them to a small room in the back. When she got to the last book in the stack, she couldn't help grinning. It was "Historia Regum Britanniae" by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Jake had told her that it contained the oldest stories of Arthur and Merlin. She shook her head. She still couldn't believe that she had met Merlin's son. She wondered where Emrys was now. She'd love to tell him about how she had been transformed into Merlin by a magic story book.

She shivered as a cold tingling rushed through her. She felt somehow connected with everything around her, every detail sharp and clear as if she could count the dust motes in the air. Her hands trembled and she realized that the book she held was shaking. She let go of the book, but instead of falling to the floor, it hung suspended in front of her. It opened of its own accord, pages flipping violently. Cassandra took a step back, her heart racing as a sharp pain shot through her head.

She opened her mouth to cry out. Before she could utter a sound, a large volume flew off the shelf, heading straight for her. Her hand flew up to shield her face and the book went spinning around the room. Another book came careening toward her. She put out a hand to deflect it and it changed direction shooting around the room. Books flew off the shelves, spinning in a tornado around her as she crouched down on the floor.

Cassandra squeezed her eyes shut, covering her head with her arms. She felt the whoosh of air as pages flapped and books spun around her, but none of them touched her. She opened an eye and realized that she was in the center of the chaos, the calm in the storm. She tried to analyze what was happening, but no equations came to her. Standing, she took a deep breath and grabbed the "Historia Regum Britanniae" and slammed it shut. Nothing changed. Dozens of volumes still spun around her. _This is ridiculous._ Frowning, she stamped her foot.

"Stop it!" The moment the words left her mouth, every book hit the floor. She winced as Jenkins and Eve ran in.

"What on earth?" Eve's eyes were wide as she stared at the mess around Cassandra.

Jenkins simply started gathering the volumes a long-suffering look on his face.

"Sorry." Cassandra said. She didn't know how to explain what had happened. If she didn't know better she would have thought she had caused the whole thing, that she had wielded magic like she had in Bremen. It certainly seemed like everything had stopped at her command. She shrugged, giving Eve and Jenkins a weak smile as she helped to pick up the books. She suddenly wished she did know where Emrys was. She had a feeling he would be able to explain what was going on.


End file.
